Facebook started censoring private instant messages between adults.

c0balt on 07/10/2016 - 13:30
Last edited 07/10/2016 - 13:36

Just now I found that facebook isn't allowing me to send links to a well known adult based website in messenger to a friend.

I get a pop up saying the websites are blocked. This has happened for a few websites that I just tried on the same subject matter. These are just standard popular websites, nothing too risque. It appears a single word has been censored - that is any website containing that phrase aloing with '.com' brings a pop up that the website is blocked.

This word is a very popular word when describing adult entertainment.

Surely this is a glitch? Or is facebook taking editorial censorship to private messages between adults?

If that's the case, that my private messages are being censored because they have links to pornography website between consenting adults then I think I need to find a new IM service!

Does anyone else find this worrying?

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Comments

  • scrimshaw on 07/10/2016 - 13:36
    +1

    Facebook doesn't care what you send in a private chat, but they appear to be not allowing URL's to be shared because of security concerns.

    It could be a link back to Facebook.com itself, even that is not allowed sometimes.

    • c0balt on 07/10/2016 - 13:43

      At first I thought it was a phrase that was being blocked as a few websites that contained the word all appeared to be blocked.

      I tried a few nonsensical websites containing that phrase and they were OK.

  • [Deactivated] on 07/10/2016 - 13:36
    +1

    they have censored certain links for a long time. i remember having issues sending torrent website links many years ago

  • cheesecactus on 07/10/2016 - 13:43
    +1

    Old news theyve been doing this for years for certain URLs.

    I just put the link in pastebin and link that instead

    • c0balt on 07/10/2016 - 13:43

      That's a really good work around, thanks!

  • [Deactivated] on 07/10/2016 - 14:16
    +7

    what is the website?

    asking for a friend

    • c0balt on 07/10/2016 - 15:23

      PM sent :)

  • Shadowsfury on 07/10/2016 - 14:28

    would turning on encryption on fb messenger work?

  • fruit on 07/10/2016 - 15:06

    Stop using Facebook

    https://stallman.org/facebook.html

  • pernunz on 07/10/2016 - 15:24
    +3

    There are many reasons why this can be used in a positive way. It can be used to prevent scammers sending private messages to links which install malware. It can be used to prevent Facebook users from accessing content which should be restricted or is illegal (certain types of pornography) and can be used for grooming.

    It can also be used to prevent links to copyright infringing sites (which some may argue they shouldn't be doing)

    Of course, this link-blocking also opens the potential up for abuse, blocking perfectly legal and appropriate sites either nefariously or through mistake. See one of my favourite wikipedia articles:

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scunthorpe_problem

    • c0balt on 07/10/2016 - 15:28
      +1

      I do see the merit for it, but I think a better way to deal with it would be a disclaimer saying that the site was found to be/potentially would be malicious would be a much better safety precaution than blocking outright. I think that there should be a way at least to opt into doing this, that way it would be on me for clicking the link that facebook tried to make me not click on should I get a virus or be involved with piracy or worse.

      I had no idea that this has been going on for years.

      Thanks for the Scunthorpe problem link, that's pretty much this in a nutshell and I learned something new today.

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